As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Surprising DH with a trip next holiday season to boost his Christmas spirit. Will be adult only and no kids. I was looking around 12/9-12/14. My question is, how are the crowds then? We have always gone during spring break, so we are used to heavy crowds. Would like to enjoy this trip and take in all of the holiday magic. Thanks for any advice!
Sounds wonderful! It's a fairly low crowd time to visit, but with some catches. Since MK has the Christmas party four nights a week, those three full length days can get very busy.
The parks and resorts will be completely decked for the holidays. Don't miss visiting the deluxe resorts to see the decorations. And you might find some holiday surprises - there was a group singing carols one evening at Wilderness Lodge when I was there during the same week this year.
We have gone several times to WDW after Thanksgiving weekend up to the week of Christmas. All the decorations are up after Thanksgiving and the Christmas spirit is definitely abound. It's usually considered a Value Season for us - DVC members (Disney Vacation Club) so we really get our moneys worth and the crowds are low. If you can go earlier in December it is well worth it. By the way, my husband and I love going to WDW together without any kids. It's like dating all over again. Enjoy!!
We also are planning a trip next year for the exact same reason. Although, in our case, DH asked to go. He wants to do the Holiday Storytellers around the World Showcase. Most of our trips in the past 5 years have been kids-free, and we tend to go at a slower pace. I'd plan a day of things he likes, as well as, at least one nice dinner. Make sure to check out the resort decorations.
In my experience, the crowds are extremely low the first week of December, but they build gradually through the month until the Christmas mob scene. By the 15th, crowds are usually moderate to heavy.
Early December is typically when the Pop Warner football and cheer competition is in WDW. The teams are housed at the All-Star resorts (sports, with overflow going to Music), but they spend their days in practice and games, and only hit the parks and Disney Springs in the evenings.
My recommendations for early December would be:
Don't stay at ASSP or ASMU. ASMO will do in pinch, but you're best off at Pop if you want to stay at a Value resort. The Pop Warner teams don't significantly affect the Moderate or Deluxe resorts.
Rent a car. This is something I tell people no matter the time of year; it allows you to skip the crowded WDW transportation system and self-drive to the parks, DTD, and other destinations, saving tremendous time and energy. With only two of you, you can rent a smaller car - economy, compact, or mid-size.
Be sure to visit Fort Wilderness Campground and walk around to look at the lights and decorations put up by the Guests. Some of them are pretty spectacular. MOre Guests arrive and decorate as Christmas approaches, so two visits - one early in your trip, and one during the last 2-3 days - would give you a good cross-section of the decorations. It's also a great excuse to eat at Trail's End, as well as go to Hoop-Dee-Doo Review.
Keep a close eye on the weather forecast for Orlando in the last 3 or 4 days before you depart, and re-pack accordingly. Weather during December fluctuates significantly; I've seen it stay below 50 one day, hit 75 degrees the very next day, and go to 80 the day after that. And even after warm days, the nights can get cold enough to be uncomfortable, so I have often found myself wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but going back to my room to change into long pants and a sweatshirt around dinner time.
Get your ADRs chosen well in advance and make them the instant your booking window opens. During times of low attendance, the restaurants still fill up pretty quickly - especially if Disney offers discount packages, upgrades, or any free dining packages during that time period.
We found Disney transport quite easy to use during the week leading up to Christmas Day last year. Trains and buses were more crowded than we'd experienced in mid-November but no worse than in high summer.
While it is good advice to have a rental car just in case, I doubt you'll really need one unless getting places as fast as humanly possible is a priority.
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